Hypertension is a common chronic disease, which can cause serious harm to people's heart, brain, kidneys and other organs, and even lead to disability or death. According to statistics, there are currently more than 300 million hypertensive patients in China, with an average of 1 in 4 adults suffering from hypertension. Moreover, high blood pressure is not only a problem for the elderly, but also more than 20% of young men.
However, many patients with high blood pressure do not pay attention to this problem, and they are reluctant to take antihypertensive drugs for a long time, fearing that antihypertensive drugs will damage liver and kidney function and affect health and lifespan.
This is a misconception that not taking antihypertensive drugs will cause blood pressure to get out of control, causing serious complications such as cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral infarction, myocardial infarction, heart failure, kidney failure, and arrhythmia.
On the contrary, if you can insist on taking antihypertensive drugs and control your blood pressure within the normal range, you can effectively reduce the risk of heart, brain and kidney diseases and protect your health.
Of course, not all people with high blood pressure need to take blood pressure medication all the time. Some people can lower their blood pressure to the ideal level by improving their lifestyle, such as quitting smoking, limiting salt, exercising moderately, etc., so they don't need to take blood pressure medications. There are also some people who have low blood pressure due to myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism or older age, so they can also skip taking antihypertensive drugs.
For the elderly, it is more important to pay attention to the monitoring of blood pressure. If you take blood pressure medication for a long time, be sure to measure your blood pressure regularly. If the low blood pressure is higher than 50mmHg, you can continue to take blood pressure medication. However, if the blood pressure is too low, it is necessary to go to the hospital in time to check whether the medication needs to be adjusted, or the medication should be reduced or stopped.
When is the best time to take medication for people with high blood pressure? A new study gives the answer, but domestic experts warn that it also depends on individual circumstances.
The study, led by Professor Thomas Macdonald, involved 21,104 people with high blood pressure, half of whom took their medication in the evening and the other half in the morning. Of the participants, 58% were males and 98% were white, with a mean age of 65 years.
The research team averaged them by 5Two years of follow-up showed no significant difference between the two groups in hospitalization for nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or vascular death**.
This shows that the time for patients with hypertension to take conventional antihypertensive drugs does not affect the efficacy of the drugs, and can be selected according to their habits and convenience.
However, Dr. Zhang Zhiying, a domestic cardiovascular expert, does not fully agree with this conclusion. He pointed out that this conclusion is mainly applicable to once-daily antihypertensive drugs, which can ensure the stability of blood pressure.
However, for some patients with high blood pressure at night or early in the morning, they need to adjust the time of taking medicine according to their actual situation, such as taking it in the morning if the blood pressure is high, and taking it at night if the blood pressure is high.
The time of taking the medication varies depending on the drug
Dr. Zhang also reminded that different types of antihypertensive drugs also have different optimal time to take, and they should be selected according to the characteristics and mechanism of action of the drugs.
For example, once-daily antihypertensive drugs, such as nifedipine extended-release tablets, amlodipine, enalapril, indapamide tablets, lasidipine, valsartan benapril, etc., are recommended to be taken at 7 a.m.
Twice-daily antihypertensive drugs, such as metoprolol, hydrochlorothiazide, captopril, etc., are recommended to be taken from 7 am to 4 pm, and avoid taking them before bedtime, so as not to cause low blood pressure at night, causing complications such as cerebral thrombosis, angina, and myocardial infarction.
Nifedipine and amlodipine are the two most commonly used dipine drugs, what is the difference between them?
Onset of action
Nifedipine is available in short-acting and medium- and long-acting formulations. The short-acting ones can take effect 1 to 2 hours after taking them, but they must be taken more than 2 times a day to maintain the antihypertensive effect, while the medium- and long-acting ones, such as nifedipine controlled-release tablets or sustained-release tablets, can maintain the stability of blood pressure when taken once a day;
Amlodipine has a longer onset of action, taking 6 to 12 hours, and the half-life of the drug is also longer, reaching 35 50 hours, and is generally a regular tablet, which can consistently lower blood pressure when taken one tablet a day.
Special populations
No antihypertensive medication is completely safe for pregnant women, but nifedipine can be used at the doctor's discretion, while amlodipine is usually not used; Nifedipine tablets are generally not recommended for older patients because of the risk of hypotension or myocardial infarction, and nifedipine extended-release tablets can be used under the guidance of a doctor, or the usual dosage form of amlodipine can be used.
Adverse effects
Amlodipine has a long duration of action and onset of action, so the likelihood of adverse effects such as headache and increased heart rate is low. Nifedipine tablets, on the other hand, have a shorter onset of action, so the incidence of adverse reactions is higher. However, in the case of long-term use, amlodipine and nifedipine controlled-release tablets may cause gingival hyperplasia, ankle edema, etc***
Gout effects
There is a strong correlation between high blood pressure and hyperuricemia, with high uric acid leading to an increase in blood pressure and high blood pressure also contributing to an increase in uric acid levels. For patients with high uric acid, amlodipine drugs are generally recommended to lower blood pressure, which can also have a protective effect on the kidneys, while nifedipine can increase uric acid values.
The control of hypertension is affected by a variety of factors, including unhealthy lifestyle, irregular medication of patients, secondary hypertension, and irrational or inadequate medications.
The ISH guidelines recommend that people with hypertension first use non-medication** to lower blood pressure through lifestyle modifications while also enhancing the effect of medications**. Specific ways to improve your lifestyle include:
Control salt intake, as high salt intake can increase blood pressure, and foods high in salt, such as soy sauce, fast food, and processed foods, should be avoided or reduced;
Drink some beneficial beverages in moderation, such as coffee, black tea, green tea, and pomegranate juice;
Eat foods rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, polyunsaturated fats, and dairy products;
Limit alcohol intake and quit smoking;
Keep exercising, studies have proven that aerobic exercise and muscle building are effective in preventing and ** high blood pressure.
February** Dynamic Incentive Program